


Visita Nocturna

by Skywinder



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, Gift Exchange, M/M, No War AU, Pre-Canon, Secret Relationship, Sneaking Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27781792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder
Summary: "If you love something let it go free. If it doesn't come back, you never had it. If it comes back, love it forever."- attributed to Douglas HortonOne dark night, Skyfire is faced with a daunting choice, to hold on or let go.  But Starscream may have different ideas.
Relationships: Skyfire/Starscream (Transformers)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 38
Collections: Skystar Secret Santa 2020





	Visita Nocturna

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarscreamSimp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarscreamSimp/gifts).



> I know, I should be working on my WIPs right now, but I somehow managed to get myself involved in a Secret Santa gift exchange this year. This was my prompt, as follows:
> 
> _"2) No warnings needed prompt: Prime-based with elements of G1. Starscream, the Prince of Vos, does his best to allude security on late nights. He avoids his trine and his body guards, slipping past when they’re asleep. Who is worth his safety? Skyfire of course- and science! He says this to himself weekly as he flies to a lowly Iacon apartment, where he meets Skyfire for some experiments and cuddles. Lots of fluff. (3/6)"_
> 
> I couldn't quite manage to do exactly what the prompt asked, but I tried to keep true to the spirit of it. I do hope that StarscreamSimp (or Bella @ThreshPrincess on Twitter) likes it anyway. If not, that is on me and I did try.

* * *

_“...I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other.”_ ― Jojo Moyes, _Me Before You_

* * *

_Let's see here…_ , Skyfire thought, as he glanced between the heating mixture on the burner and the bottles of chemicals on the shelf he was rummaging through, _I could have sworn I had liquid beryllium on this shelf. Where could it be?_

He pulled himself away from the shelf, and placed his hands on his hips, glaring around the room with a disgruntled expression.

"Primus," he muttered. "I hope I didn't use it up in another experiment. That stuff is expensive…"

"Looking for something?"

The unexpected sound of an amused, silky voice had Skyfire whirling around towards the source, arms extending outward and his defensive weapons starting to hum to life.

Now came an amused laugh from the corner of the room closest to the balcony door, and a figure stepped out of the shadows there. 

A figure who happened to be a very familiar Seeker, his arms behind his back and a mischievous grin on his face.

Skyfire relaxed, though he couldn’t help feeling a small amount of annoyance. “Starscream, I wish you wouldn’t sneak in like that. Especially if I’m in the middle of searching through chemicals. If any of them had broken…”

Starscream just chuckled, unrepentant. "Weren't you the one who said surprises could be fun?" he purred.

"Not when I'm in the middle of an experiment," Skyfire shot back, but he went over to where his mixture sat and turned off the burner. "Thought you weren't going to be able to make it tonight."

Starscream flicked his wings in slight annoyance. "I wasn't, but my siblings were apparently willing to cover for me so I could let you know what is being discussed. Specifically, Crosswind is planning to bond us all off, and they aren’t thrilled about it.”

Skyfire froze. "What?"

The amusement faded entirely from Starscream's face, and he moved further into the room, hands falling to his sides. Heading straight for a sitting berth on the other side of the room, he spoke once more. "You heard me," he said flatly.

Skyfire was stunned. "He hasn't figured out you're sneaking out to meet someone, has he?" 

Deep down, Skyfire hoped this wasn't the case, as the consequences would be severe, if so. One didn't just _date_ a Creation of the Winglord. Particularly if you weren't a member of the nobility. There were cases on record of those who had done just that, and been executed or exiled under pain of death, depending on how far the relationship had gone. The Creations in question were consigned to the Priesthood, being considered “damaged”, regardless of how far the relationship had gone.

Skyfire was very certainly under no illusions what his own fate would be, if they were discovered. His renown as a scientist wouldn’t help him in Vos, as he had just started working at the Science Academy here only a few vorns ago. If they were in Iacon, there might be a chance to survive the fallout.

Of course, that was dependent on what Starscream replied.

The flier in question had now settled himself on the sitting berth, his features pensive and wings tense. He leaned himself forward, hands on his knees. “No, he isn’t, as far as I know. But he would like to secure his line and thinks that while it isn’t a bad thing for the sciences to be taken up by Vos, he feels it to be a waste of time for those of high rank.”

It wasn’t hard to read between the lines of _that_ statement.

“So you don’t believe he’s aware, but you do believe he’s suspicious, at the very least.”

Starscream nodded. “That’s my best guess,” he admitted.

“So how do you want to deal with this?” Skyfire asked softly, feeling his Spark sink just slightly when Starscream didn’t answer immediately and bowed his head, looking away from the shuttle.

Skyfire couldn’t deny that it hurt more than just a little, which was amazing considering that when they had first met, he hadn’t really been impressed by the other mech. Starscream had struck him as spoiled and far too proud for even a Seeker, and seemed to have no care for how he treated anyone. Skyfire hadn’t appreciated being treated like a servant, though he kept his feelings to himself on that count for a time.

That had changed one orn, when Starscream had pushed matters too far, deliberately knocking some datapads off the desk the shuttle had been working at. Since they contained notes for some rather delicate experiments he’d been working on. Skyfire had snapped and laid into him for that, calling him every name in the book he could think of. At that moment, he hadn’t cared that Starscream was a prince, or that he was First Heir to the throne of Vos. All he’d cared about was that Starscream had potentially ruined at least seventy cycles of work. Eventually, he managed to wind himself down, noticing as he did so that Starscream was just staring at him in shock.

Once he’d realized Skyfire had finished his rant, however, the shock had shifted to a sneer and he’d hiked his wings up high and flounced out of the room, tossing the threat over his shoulder that his Carrier would hear of this.

Skyfire would admit it, that threat had concerned him; after all, Starscream’s Carrier was the Winglord, and would be very unlikely to appreciate an outsider calling his heir to task. He’d spent a couple orns looking over his shoulder while he was working at the academy, and tensing at every little sound when he was at his apartment.

Three orns following the altercation, Starscream had unexpectedly turned up on his balcony and strolled in as though he owned the place. Before Skyfire even had a chance to ask him what in the Pit he was doing here, Starscream had pulled a datapad out of his subspace and shoved it at Skyfire. It was one of the experiments he’d been working on to refine the energon used for flier fuel further than it currently was.

_“The concept is solid, but there seem to be some variables you’ve missed,”_ he then said. Skyfire had just blinked at him, puzzled by the calm behavior. His consternation had deepened when Starscream then went on to offer his assistance with it.

Thus had begun their partnership. Over the next two vorns, Skyfire had found that while his first impressions had indeed been correct, the Seeker also had a keen intellect and enjoyed science, a field that was normally closed to him due to his rank.

Eventually, Starscream had told him that he’d actually never informed his Carrier about their altercation, specifically because while he _had_ been angry, he’d also found, when he’d calmed down enough to think, that he’d appreciated someone not caring anything about his rank. He’d found it intriguing and refreshing at the same time. And sneaking around behind his Creator’s back to do something he enjoyed was an added bonus, Starscream had added with a grin.

By the end of the two vorns, Skyfire knew his own feelings for the Seeker had become deeper, as had Starscream’s for him. They spent as much time talking as doing science, and eventually they’d begun to interface. They were as good as bonded by now.

But there had always been that underlying fear that their relationship would be discovered, and while it didn’t seem to be the case, Skyfire couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. He knew Starscream loved him as much as he loved the other flier, but Starscream was a prince, not the Winglord, and Skyfire knew how limited his partner’s power actually was when making decisions regarding his life. He hated it, but fighting it would cost him too much.

There would be no place in Starscream’s life for him, not now, he reflected sadly. And while he would accept the penalty for himself, he wasn’t going to be the reason that his lover would be locked away for the rest of his life, punished for no better reason than falling in love with the wrong mech.

Skyfire took a deep intake and straightened his wings. “If you wish to end this,” he finally said, “I will not argue it.”

Starscream looked up sharply. “Excuse me?” he asked, his tone every bit as hard as his features. “I never said anything about ending our relationship.”

Skyfire shook his head. “Starscream, you know as well as, even better than, I what the penalty is for taking a lover outside of your rank. I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

“I can handle Crosswind,” Starscream shot back. “And Stration won’t care, as long as his Creations are happy.”

“Are you sure of that?” Skyfire asked quietly. “Stration hasn’t always stood up for you or your siblings regarding your wishes, from what you’ve told me. I seem to remember you saying once that he didn’t really support Sunstorm’s wishes to join the priesthood. And that you’ve said nothing regarding his opinion of what Crosswind wants to do right now seems telling regarding what his actions may well be.”

“He’ll have to support it this time,” Starscream muttered, looking away again. “I’m not giving you up, Skyfire.”

“There may not be a choice here, Starscream,” Skyfire said sadly. “I love you, you know I do, and if I’m executed or exiled, I can accept that. But they’ll imprison you. Crosswind won’t want to have any scandal attached to his house.” He let out a heavy intake. “I don’t want you to suffer for my sake.”

Starscream growled softly. “I could leave with you if it comes to exile,” he retorted harshly. “I could just go stay with Thundercracker and his Trinemates until then. Thundercracker doesn’t think much of arranged bondings. Neither do Stormraiser and Skywarp. They’d hide me until it was time to leave.”

Skyfire allowed himself to consider it for a brief moment, then shook his head. “You’d be leaving too much behind, Starscream. You’d be abandoning your home, friends and siblings. You have a life here, and in time you would come to resent leaving, and perhaps me for being the cause.

“I don’t want to cause a situation like that for you. Ending it now, while we still can without scandal, is the only way out I can see for it right now.”

Starscream’s face twisted with anger and he stood up from the berth, his wings flaring out sharply. “Ending it _isn’t_ an option, Skyfire! And I don’t _care_ about all that!”

He stalked forward and glared up at the other flier. “And even if I _did_ care, I still would go with you. This is _my_ choice, Skyfire. _Mine_ ,” he hissed.

“Starscream…,” Skyfire began, but he was cut off as Starscream spoke up again.

“I am not about to give up the one mech who didn’t care about my status and rank and treated me like everyone else. Even my siblings say I’m more tolerable since I took up with you. Slipstream even asked once if you have any siblings she could date.” Starscream grinned now at Skyfire’s dumbfounded expression. “She was very disappointed when I told her you were an only Creation.

“Besides, Crosswind won’t be able to do anything to me, not now. Neither Stream or Storm want to rule Vos. Stream doesn’t have the patience for aftheads that I can manage to fake, and Storm doesn’t have any interest at all in ruling. Most of my near kin have told me that they’d rather it be me than them. Huracan straight up told me he’d prefer to be an advisor for me than deal with all the insanity that is politics and concerns over assassination. My Sire is aware of all this, too, and won’t let Crosswind endanger the succession because of his pride.”

With those words, he turned around and sauntered back to the sitting berth and sat down, stretching out his arms along the back of it. All of his pensiveness had by now disappeared, and he was smirking in a very self-satisfied way.

Skyfire frowned. Something about the way Starscream was behaving didn’t feel right. “Starscream, why are you so set on this? I know we’ve covered this subject before, and you’ve never usually put up an argument over my concerns.”

Starscream just flicked his wings slightly. “Things change,” he replied easily. “I won’t deny that you’d normally be right, that under such circumstances it would be a good idea to call what we have off.” The smirk faded from his features. “But that can’t happen now.”

“Why?”

Starscream’s optics dimmed and he looked away briefly. When he looked back at Skyfire, there seemed to be a calm resolution in his features. “Because there is no way in the Pit that Stration will allow his first Beta-Creation to be born in a temple.” He stood up again. “Because Stration would raise Pit if Crosswind made any suggestion about terminating it. He’d see to it that all of Vos knew that my Carrier was willing to get rid of a potential heir to the throne.” 

Starscream once more smiled a feral smile. “Stration may not be the Winglord, but he knows that my taking a lover outside of my rank and bonding with them would be far less of a scandal than Crosswind disowning or destroying his own Beta-Creation would be.”

Skyfire once more felt as though he’d been poleaxed. “I’m…,” he had to reset his vocalizer as it sank in what Starscream had just said. “I’m going to be a Sire?”

“Yes you are, Skyfire,” Starscream replied, strolling right back up to the Valkyrie. “Congratulations,” he purred, his hands behind his back once more.

Skyfire just blinked, feeling a bit lost for words.

Fortunately for him, Starscream was in too good a mood to care about the fact that Skyfire wasn’t replying to the bombshell he’d just dropped.. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’m sure you’ll manage it eventually. Now,” he went on, as he turned around and headed for the balcony, “I’m sure you have much to do, and I will leave you to it. Oh, and by the way…”

He reached into his subspace and pulled out a small flask of some orange-brown colored liquid. “I do believe you were looking for something,” he went on, setting said vial down on the table next to the sitting berth.

Skyfire’s optics widened. “What the…? Starscream!” he yelped.

Starscream turned and flickered an optic at him. “See you later, _amari_ ,” he said with a smirk.

Without another word, he strolled off towards the balcony, and there was a sound of a transformation. Then he was gone.

Skyfire just shook his head in a half-exasperated manner as he stared between the bottle and the door through which his lover had just departed from. _Primus, what am I going to do with you, Starscream?_

He picked up the beryllium and placed it back on his shelf with the other chemicals. The experiment could wait until the morning cycle to be finished; for now, he had other things to occupy his processor.

As Skyfire went to shut and lock the balcony door, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. A joor ago, he’d been starting work on a new project...Now, he was facing the possibility of arrest and becoming a Sire.

He hoped Starscream was right, and Crosswind could be talked down from his rage,

For his own part, Skyfire wasn’t quite sure that it would be that easy. But then again, he thought ruefully, since when had it ever been easy with Starscream?

_I hope you_ do _know what you’re doing, amari._

_For both our sakes._


End file.
